This invention relates generally to containers for various uses and ore particularly to a container and an associated adapter or adapters so connectable that the volumetric capacity of the container can be easily modified, to simplify, facilitate, and reduce the cost of manufacturing a range of containers having sizes and volumetric capacities respectively intermediate the generally standard sizes of containers conventionally manufactured, so the same will be readily available to customers without the need of customizing the manufacture of such intermediate sizes.
Manufacturers in order to manufacture and sell containers in the commercial marketplace at competitive prices, establish fabrication machinery and processes which enable manufacture of the containers to be fixed in a generally standard range of sizes and volumetric capacities, thus reducing the cost of manufacture.
Invariably however there are customers who require containers with volumetric capacities which are intermediate or greater than that of the standard range of sizes and volumetric capacities of the containers manufactured and sold by the manufacturer. In order to meet such requirements of the customer it is necessary to modify the fabrication machinery and processes to provide the customized container in accordance with the specifications of the customer. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that whenever such change in the manufacturing procedures becomes necessary the cost and the price of such customized containers increases materially.
When used in this application, the term--generally standard range of sizes and volumetric capacities--or words similar thereto, applicant means either the standards set by the manufacturers, by the trade in a given industry, by Administrative Organizations for Engineers and Industries, and the like agencies utilized to reduce cost, waste, and other factors relating to the manufacture of all types of products and systems.
Various efforts have been made in the prior art to provide containers which are capable of varying or changing volumetric capacity, as is shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,256,865; 2,625,044; 2,690,080; 2,839,928; 3,134,264, and 4,624,382.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,264 is particularly noted because it utilizes a series of wall extensions which are superimposed or removed selectively and alternatively on a measuring cup base unit having a given volumetric capacity to alter or vary the volumetric capacity of the base unit of the measuring cup as may be required. This is accomplished by modifying the upper edge or rim of the base and the associated end edges of the wall extensions so the wall extensions can be brought into threaded and sealing engagement when in assembled position. This construction is costly to manufacture and treats only with an enabling arrangement for a measuring cup rather than the broad problem of providing a simple, economical and easily adaptable means for changing the volumetric capacity needed in the manufacture of commercial containers.
The present invention seeks to meet this problem by providing an improved adapter or adapters which can be superimposed and removed selectively and alternatively on a generally standard size container to enable the volumetric capacity of the said generally standard sized containers to be easily varied to meet the needs of customers having requirements for volumetric capacity which differ from those of the standard size containers conventionally manufactured.
The improved adapters for overcoming this problem are particularized by having one end shaped with the same type of outer bead element provided on the ends of conventional containers for strength and other practical reasons and at the opposite end suitable wall means which defines a connecting means or assembly having a sized cavity with a width slightly less than the thickness of the walls of the upper beaded ends of the container on which the adapter will be fitted, the container means shaped with an internal groove so positioned as to match and mate with the upper beaded end of the container or an associated adapter during assembly of the adapter onto the container or such associated adapter, the adapter or the wall means defining the connecting means or assembly being made of a material having a memory and therefore sufficiently deformable or resilient to cause the adapter to snap into engagement with the bead and wall of the container or coacting adapter during assembly so that the elements of the expanded container are securely fastened to each other.
Further the connecting means on the respective adapter is provided with a suitable seal in the cavity to form a fluid tight joint when the elements are in assembled position.